Item 7 – Contingency planning for FMD laboratories

should also be available. Data from the Middle East suggest that the A22 Iraq vaccine is less useful than previously and that a vaccine based on A Iran 87 would be useful. This could replace the recommendation for inclusion of the related A Saudi Arabia 23/86 vaccine. The Iran 87 vaccine may also provide cover against type A viruses from South East Asia, where the A15 Bangkok vaccine seems less useful. Given the lack of evidence for circulating type C FMD virus, it may be less important to maintain large reserves of the C Noville vaccine strain than previously.

Priority locations from which assisted delivery of isolates to WRL is required

A ranking of priority locations was obtained by analysis of the answers provided by experts to a questionnaire on this subject. The order of priorities obtained was: 1. China 2. Indian subcontinent 3. African horn 4. Africa East

Few or no samples have been submitted to the FMD World Reference Laboratory from these regions in the last three years.

It is instructive to look at which FMD infected countries have the highest populations of susceptible species and are the main exporters of live animals and meat, since these are likely to represent a particular threat. China and India do indeed have some of the largest populations of susceptible species in the world. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa also merit more attention than they have previously been given. A number of projects are now underway to examine in detail the ecosystems in selected countries where FMD is endemic. These studies will seek to assemble information on the location and chronology of FMD outbreaks and on the host species and FMDV serotypes and subtypes involved. This will be analysed in relation to a variety of factors that may contribute to the persistence and spread of the FMD virus such as animal density, husbandry and trading practices.

Principal constraints to sample submission are related either to concerns over the use of the submitted samples and information derived there from or to the cost and effort required relative to the perceived benefit obtained. It was concluded that in the first instance efforts should be made to encourage the submission of more FMD sample materials from Africa, since obtaining information from this region is a relatively high priority and there is a reasonable prospect of improving submissions if resource is targeted here.

Recommendations regarding improved priority setting for vaccine banks

1. Available information on the diversity of circulating FMD viruses and vaccine matching data should be pooled by improving the liaison and exchange of information between regional reference laboratories. A project in the framework of the EU ERA Net will be submitted in the spring of 2004 to take this objective forward. A useful initiative would be to organise meetings of representatives from regional reference laboratories. These could take place every two years. The

World Reference Laboratory will examine the costs and feasibility of organising a first meeting in early 2004.

2. The value of vaccine matching tests on available field isolates should be improved by procuring a more representative supply of vaccine strains and vaccine antisera.

This requires closer liaison between vaccine companies and Reference

Laboratories. Consideration should also be given to funding reference laboratories to produce their own supplies of reference antisera by Reference Laboratories.

3. Research is needed to improve, standardise and validate in vitro vaccine matching tests. This includes in vivo cross-protection studies and more work to characterise the antigenic sites critical to protection. A new research project under the EU 6th

Framework is close to agreement and will support these objectives.

Recommendations regarding improving the estimation of FMD and antigenic type prevalences

1. The submission of more FMDV samples to the World Reference Laboratory should be encouraged to enable genetic and antigenic characterisation studies to be performed. Better liaison with Regional Reference Laboratories may encourage the supply of representative viruses from their collections to the World

Reference Laboratory (see recommendation 1 above). Efforts to encourage and subsidise submissions from endemic countries should concentrate initially on targeting resources to countries in sub-Saharan Africa and the horn of Africa where it is likely that financial assistance could have the greatest benefit. The

EUFMD Secretariat should co-ordinate such an approach.

2. New research to improve the knowledge of the ecosystems in which FMD is endemic has great potential for identifying the mechanisms by which the virus persists and spreads and thereby to develop risk assessments and new control strategies. The groups should be invited to update the EUFMD on progress in their research in the coming years. The EUFMD Secretariat and the FMD World

Reference Laboratory should support these initiatives and help to co-ordinate the activities of different research groups. Discussions and agreement are needed on the extent to which surveillance data received from National Governments by organisations such as international reference laboratories can be made more widely accessible.

Recommendations from the World Reference Laboratory on FMD virus strains to be included in FMDV antigen banks (2003)1

The virus strains listed may have equivalents that could be considered as alternatives.

1 Provisional recommendations at the Session were modified by WRL after further review; O Campos replacing O Lausanne; A Iran 87 moved down to medium; A Saudi 23/86 added as medium priority; A Eritrea 98 and A 87 Argentina moved down to low priority.